1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to tilt indicators and more particularly to tilt indicators for use on ships, oil rigs and platforms as well as bridges, structures on land and scaffolding which will activate an alarm should the vessel or platform tilt more than a predetermined degree.
2. General Discussion of the Background
Tilting and capsizing has been a big problem in the maritime industries. Consequently, there has been a need to warn persons on structures on the water as well as persons on buckling and tilting structures on land at the earliest possible moment of any danger of tilting, swinging or capsizing and thereby saving life and property.
There exist several devices in the prior art which detect tilting of objects. These include: Boyd's Ships Trim Indicator (U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,400); Schneider's Tilt Responsive Inertia Switch With Printed Circuit And Movable Ball Contact (U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,447); Chisman's Automatic Gravity Ignition Cut Out for Tractors (U.S. Pat. No. 1,414,932); Florin's Position Sensitive Mercury Switch (U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,562); Jones' Short Circuit Cut Out Switch For Tractors (U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,275); Hall's Inclination Responsive Electrical Switch (U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,737); Segoni's Accident Signaling Device (U.S. Pat. No. 2,794,084); and Gebhardt's Alarmvorrichtung Zum Anzeigen des Erschutterns Oder Zerbrechens Von Fensterscheiben (Germany No. 384,082).
The above patented devices do not disclose a tilt detection device with protuberances projecting from a substantially flatly resting floor plate over which a ball or similar object may travel in case of a tilt to complete a circuit, thereby triggering an alarm to warn those in the vicinity of a dangerous tilt.
The prior art also does not disclose an alarm device which will not be triggered by a slight tilt or sudden shock. Furthermore, the prior art does not disclose a waterproof tilt indication device.